Maneki-neko
When I lived in Los Angeles, I noticed that many of the Japanese-owned businesses had ceramic cats with a raised paw displayed on a shelf or on the counter next to the cash register. I found out later that these cats are called maneki-neko or beckoning cats. I thought the cat was waving but it was actually beckoning customers and is a good luck charm. (When the Japanese want you to come to them, they use their palms down and use a gesture with their fingers as if scratching the air.)
There are many stories about the origin of the beckoning cat, but my favorite is about a poor merchant who had little food but shared it with a cat. The grateful cat stood at the door to welcome customers into the shop and the merchant soon became prosperous. A wood carving was made of the cat that evolved into ceramic or plastic figurines. The cats are usually white with a collar, bell, bib and a coin called a koban, representing a coin used in the Edo period.
